Various brackets exist in the prior art for mounting low voltage electrical plates. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,399 to Medlin Jr. contains a pair of sidewalls and flat rectangular edge portions which are disposed in different planes, thereby somewhat complicating and increasing the expense related to manufacture.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,431 to Thayer, there is disclosed a fixture having legs which are disposed from the sides of the fixture in staggered formation. This would prevent transverse movement of the fixture out of the wall opening and likewise prevent sideways movement, but would not appear to stabilize the fixture against vertical forces or movement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,235 to Conley discloses a subplate having offsets, so that the device lies in more than one plane. Further, installation of the subplate requires a placement of screws in clearance holes of the subplate, then tightening screws through the wall panel and into the fastener hole of a tab on the inner surface of the wall. This may require a high degree of skill or, perhaps, a greater degree of frustration, since the artisan may not have access to the inner surface of the wall panel for securing the tab until a screw can be inserted and tightened.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,860 to MacKay, which requires a full length nail for securing the bracket to a stud would be entirely impractical if the securing surface was plaster board or any material other than a wooden stud.
Thus, the disclosures contained in each of the foregoing patents may be found to be unsatisfactory in many respects, among others, that the prior brackets or subplates may not be adapted for installation where wall panels are comprised of different materials, may not satisfactorily secure the subplate in the wall opening against vibrations and forces from different directions, may not be used without piercing the wall panel itself, or may otherwise be impractical in construction or manufacture, not sufficiently sturdy, too expensive and not commercially feasible.
In view of the various drawbacks and deficiencies in the prior art brackets, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a backplate for holding a low voltage electrical outlet plate in position at the opening in a wall panel, which backplate could be installed in wall panels having various compositions and thickness.
A further object of the invention is to provide a backplate having fastener holes corresponding to fastener holes of the low voltage electrical outlet plate which holes are positioned so that the fastener need not necessarily pierce the wall panel itself.
Another object of the invention is to provide a bracket for holding a low voltage electrical outlet plate which would obviate the necessity for placement of the screw or other fastener insertable in a fastener hole of a tab on the reverse side of the wall panel, since access by the artisan to hold the tab while inserting the fastener may be difficult or impossible.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a backplate for a low voltage electrical outlet plate which could be secured at the opening of a wall panel against sideways or vertical movement of the backplate as well as transverse movement in or out of the wall panel opening.
An important objective of this invention is to provide a backplate adapted for manufacture by stamping a flat plate to provide slots forming bend lines, for bending the plate to form a support bracket, thereby achieving significant reductions in the complexity and expensive manufacture, delivery and storage of backplates.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be made more apparent as the specification proceeds.